Apparatus for tempering sole leather



Jan. 29, 1929.

. c. SHAW APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING soLE LEATHER Filed Aug. 24, 1926 INVENTOR CHARLES SHAW- ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 29, 1929i.

i U We sr cHAIaLEs 'sHAW oF BROOKLYMNEW YORK.

4.ainnanaciUs Fon. '.inivirnnnvef soLE LEATHER.

r Application filed August 24, 1926. serial m9131382;

' as used for producing shoe soles, in' amore thorough manner, and in which the stock 1n the form of blanks or pieces will be held sep-y arated in obtaining the result looked for. l

.More specifically stated, the object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus with which the leather stock will be submerged in water for a predetermined period,

for thirty minutes for instance, which constitutes the soaking operation, after which 'Y the water is removed so that the leather stock will remain for a predetermined period, about twenty-four hours, enclosed and shut off from circulating airto obtain a coiiiplete'saturathe apparatus.

l ably met-al.

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of the apparatus embodying the features of the present invention. v y

F ig. 2 is a vei'tical sectional viewv through f' Fig. 3 is a perspective view of yone of the trays used for supporting the leather stockto be tempered.

' Referring now more particularly to the several views of the drawing, it will be apparent that, the apparatus includes a box or casing 10 of any preferred size and construction, and made from any preferred material, prefer- The casing is provided with supporting legs 11.r rl`he casing 10 in the present instance is of oblong shape, and is provided in the front wall thereof with an opening 12 which is closed by a hinged door 13. The opening12 is bordered by a suit- Y able gasket 14 of rubber or other suitable water-tight closure.

material, whereas, the inside of the door 13 is provided with a rectangular channel r15 having arranged therein al gasket 16 similarly to the gasket 14. The gaskets 14 and 16 in the channel 15 constitute a means for effectually 4.

sealing the opening '12, to provide an air and The door 13 is releasably held in a closed position by suitable coacting latching devices 17 and 18 respectively l I on theV door andfront wall of the `casing 10.

The walls ofthe casing 10 and t-he door 13 provide a chamber 19. Communicating'with the chamber 19 by virtue ofV an opening O in the bottom wall of the casing is a suitable connection 2O which serves both as an inlet and outlet forthe `water used in the soaking operation. A Water inlet pipe 21 leads tothe Aconnection 2O as at 22 and is in communication therewith sothatvwater flowing throughthe pipe 21willente'r 'the connection 20 and vpass through the opening Ointo the chamber 19.4 The pipe 21 has connected-therein a suitable cut-olf valve 23. A water outlet pipe 24 is provided and leads to the connection 20 in communication therewith. lThe Voutlet pipe 24 serves for draining the waterV from the chamber 19. lThe outlet pipe 24 has connected therein a suitable :stop vvalve 25. A by-pass 26 is provided and one end thereof is'in communication withth'etop of the chamber 19 as at 2T, and the lower end of the by-pass is 'in communication with the outlet pipe 24 below the valve 25 as at 28. The by-pass 26 serves as an overflow for an over-abundance of Water, and also allows the f air which was in the chamber 19 to be liberated therefrom asthe chamber' 19 is being filled with Water. v J n In order to properly support the-leather stock suoli as sole leather blanks from which outer soles are produced, or'soles already superposed relationship.l Each tray 29 Y comprises la Vbox-like structure 30 comprising sides 31, ends 32 and a bottom 33. The bottom 33 is inclined With respect to the sides 31. One side 31 `has the lower edge thereof spaced from the bottom 33 to provide an elongated drain opening 34. The bottom 33 is also provided with a number of drain holes 35. Arranged within the structure 30 there is a plurality of supporting members 36'arranged in spa-ced relationship with respect t'o each other, and in the present instance said supporting members are carried by the bottom 33. Each of the members 36 is bowed and has the opposite ends vthereof` secured to the bottom 33.

viously any other arrangement of supporting members 36 may be provided for the 1ntended purpose.. One oit` the sides 31 and each of the ends 32 of the structure 30 have formed thereon an upstanding portion or flange 37 so that When 'a-.number of the trays p 29 are stacked they Will'be heldV against is not restricted to the lprecise arrangement shiftingrelativelyy endwise and sideWise in one direction, and Will facilitate their being stacked in alignment. Eachol` the trays 29 is `therefore adapted to support a multiplicity of'shoe leather blanks or other stock in a separated' condition.

Y The tempering process is carried out in a manner presently to be described. rPhe def sired` number of trays 29 lhave therein the leather'stock Which is arranged With/in the chamber 19, after which the door 13 is closed. Water is then admitted to the chamber. 19 through the inlet pipe 21, by opening the valve 23.. At this time the valve Will be closed. rllhe Water passes from the pipe 21 into thek connection 20, through the opening O` into the chamber 19. Sufficient Water' is introduced into the chamber 19 to completely fill the same which will exclude all of. the air therein. The leather stock Will thus be submerged, With'all of the surfaces thereof susceptible to the soaking action'of the Water. The leather stock is alloWed to remain submerged for a period of thirty minutes, after Which the Water is drained from the chamber 19. This is accomplished by closingthe valve 23, and by opening the Valve 25. The Water under the action of gravity draws the air in the bypass 26 into the chamber 19 at the top, Vand the' Water flows out of the outlet pipe 24. VThechamber 19 Will then. be substantially evacuated of Water. Byy allowing Vthe leather,- stock to remain in this condition for a period of twenty-four hours, the stock Will be thoroughly moistened or saturated, Which completes the tempering process.

By providing the type of trays 29 illustrated and described, the Water is allowed to freely circulate in and about the leather stock' While the chamber 19 is being filled,

and the Water in the draining operationpvvll be alloWed'to drain completely out of the trays 29. A suitable gage 38 is connected in communication with the chamber 19 so that the amount of Water in the chamber may be seen at a glance. .y

Itl is to be understood that the invention of parts shown and described, asdetails of construction may be modified yand rearranged Without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of Which-is limited only by the terms of the appended claims. f

I claim:

1. Apparatus for tempering shoe sole leather pieces comprising a casing having a chamber and a Water and air-tight door;

means inL said chamber'adapted to support a multiplicity of the leather pieces in spaced relationship, a valvedy Water inlet, a valved Water outlet, a connection establishing communication between said chamber and said inlet. and outlet, and a by-pass in communication with the top of the chamber and said outlet below its valve.

2. Inan apparatus :tor tempering shoe sole leather pieces, a casing having a chamber in Which the leather pieces may be placed, means for introducing Water into said chamber, means for liberating the air in the chamber While the Water is being introduced,l and means for draining the Water from. said chamber so that the chamber willV be substantially evacuated of Water.

3. In anapparatus for tempering leather stock, a casing having a chamber in Which the leather stock may be placed, means in the chamber adapted to support the lea-ther stock, means for introducing Water into said chamber, means for liberating theair in the chamber. While the Water is being introduced,

and means for draining the Water from said chamber so that the chamber Will bessubstantially evacuated of. Water.

CHARLES SHAW.l 

